Virginia: Senate committee advances cannabis legislation with new legal penalties | Cannabis Law Report

RICHMOND — A Senate committee advanced legislation to create a marijuana retail market this week. But along the way, the committee voted to adopt changes that some advocates say will unfairly penalize marginalized communities and undermine marijuana decriminalization efforts.

Amendments to the legislation create a felony penalty for anyone distributing more than five pounds of marijuana, carrying a prison sentence of five to 30 years. New language would also bump the penalty for purchasing cannabis from an unlicensed distributor from a Class 2 to a Class 1 misdemeanor and impose a minimum fine of $500 or at least 50 hours of community service.

“It triggers mandatory minimums, which we should be moving away from,” said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Henrico, during remarks to the Senate Courts of Justice Committee Wednesday. “It increases the likelihood of adding felonies to records for non-violent conduct in this way.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/senate-committee-advances-cannabis-legislation-230400241.html